My grandkids could tell me all about Pokémon, but many of them couldn't name the tiny creatures living right outside the back door.
I'm a grandfather of 14, and about a year ago I started writing a children's book because I noticed something that bothered me.
My grandkids could tell me all about Pokémon, but many of them couldn't name the tiny creatures living right outside the back door..
I wanted to change that.
So I wrote a story where every main character is a real invertebrate, every fact is scientifically accurate, and the adventure takes place in an ordinary backyard. My goal was to make kids curious enough to put down the tablet and go outside.
Once the book was finished, the project kept growing. It became a coloring book, a field journal, printable activities, and eventually people convinced me to launch it on Kickstarter.
The campaign launches on July 14, National Be Nice to Bugs Day, which seemed too perfect not to use.
Whether you ever visit the Kickstarter or not, I'd genuinely appreciate feedback from parents, teachers, and anyone who encourages kids to explore the outdoors. This is just the first book in what I hope becomes a much larger series.
One thing I've learned through all of this: I've spent my entire career working in IT, not publishing. Learning Kickstarter and social media has been far more challenging than writing the book itself, and Reddit has honestly been the hardest community for me to figure out. So if you have suggestions, I'm all ears.
Parents, teachers, and fellow nature lovers: what's one thing that got you interested in the outdoors as a kid? I'd genuinely love to hear your stories, and if you have feedback on the project, I'd appreciate that too.
If you'd like to follow along or check out the pre-launch page, here it is: Grandpa Ron Kickstarter
And thank you to the moderators for making Self-Promotion Friday possible.
-Grandpa Ron
🐜🌻🦟🐞🕸️🌿🕷️🐝🍄🟫🪱🌱
